Module 1 Notes
  • Write a short definition for the each of the following:
    • Open Educational Resources (OER) are online materials that can be used freely by teachers, students, or other individuals for educational purposes.
    • Open Source resources are software or other online programs that do not require purchasing and licensing to use. They are created for free and open use with the expectation that provided source code may be modified or improved.
    • Copyrightis a legal protection for intellectual property (i.e. creative works) that allows the owner/creator to keep creative control and exclusive rights for distribution and use of the copyrighted material for a limited time.
    • Intellectual Property Rights include industrial and individual rights over “creations of the mind” such as symbols, inventions, designs, and art.
    • Creative Commons is a website and nonprofit organization that pools creative works that have some of the copyright restrictions released so that the works can be used and, in many cases, modified and distributed by others under certain conditions, such as proper citation.
    • Public Domain When items are in the public domain, it means that there are currently no current copyright restrictions over those items of intellectual property, within a particular jurisdiction.
    • CC Licenses On the Creative Commons site, originators of intellectual property (individuals or businesses) can create free Creative Commons licenses that allow the holder to delineate the copyright rules that they would like for their work and typically release some rights so that the work can be distributed and reused openly.
    • Curriki is a nonprofit organization with a website of open learning resources targeted for K-12 learning that allows teachers, students, and parents to use and share courses and lessons.
    • Thinkfinity is an online resource that has K-12 standards-based lessons and learning activities for educators, parents, and after-school providers, pooling resources from leading educational sites/organizations.
    • Connexions is a website that allows individuals to post or use learning modules for their own learning or instructional use and/or organize modules within the content management system on the site.
    • P2PUstands for Peer 2 Peer University, an open education project that works as an online alternative to traditional university courses and sources of professional learning.
    • EPICEd is an online “community of practice” where educators can connect with others to support their work in teaching with technology through the planning, implementation, and assessment stages.
    • 21st Century Skillsare skills that students will need in life and in the contemporary workplace for creative/critical thinking, communication about and collaboration on real-world issues and problems, as underpinned by their knowledge of content and subject matter and in the context of current and emerging technology and media.
    • Wikirefers to a website that is set up to allow for community editing of a page or pages with the ability to create content, links, and organization.
    • Merlotstands for Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching, an online open resource primarily for instructors and learners in higher education to find peer-reviewed materials for teaching and learning.
    • Blog A weblog, or blog, is an individual’s serially updated webpage that is open to view and comment from others.

Module 2 Notes
  • Respond to the questions on this Google Form for your Module 2 notes.

Module 3 Notes
  • Respond to the questions on this Google Form for your Module 3 notes.

    As I mentioned in the discussion and assignment areas, I had difficulty in working with MERLOT in Internet Explorer on my PC. I could not get information to save in the windows, and when I tried a different browser the templates would not copy and paste. I noticed that Merlot only accepts peer reviews from those employed in higher education. I would continue to go to Merlot to browse for resources; however, most of what I found needs to be adapted for my use in high school. My participation in the site would be limited because I work at the high school level.

Module 4 Notes
  • Repost the link to your Google Docs Web Resource List
  • Post the link to your lesson plan.
  • Fill out this Online Tools Comparison Chart:


Google Sites
Wikispaces
Merlot
My eCoach
Livebinders
Moodle
Ease of Use
Good, intuititive
Good
Difficult
Good as user
OK
Good
Appropriateness of Format
Very good
Fine
Fine
FIne
Good
Good
Overall Design
Plain but fine
Average
Average
Good
Don't like
frames
Average
Availability of Templates
Average
Average
Average
Good
Average
Average
Ability to Meet Universal Access Requirements
Very good
Average
Very good
Average
OK
Good
Appropriateness for Your Purposes
Very good
Good
Very good
Good
Good
Very good
Likelihood I'll Use This
High
Not sure
Low
Low
Not sure
Medium